


Charmed 111: The Walls Of Youdu

by Metal_Ox137



Series: Charmed AU1 [11]
Category: Charmed (TV)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-03
Updated: 2015-11-03
Packaged: 2018-04-29 19:24:13
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,899
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5139671
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Metal_Ox137/pseuds/Metal_Ox137
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A demon kidnaps Phoebe, hoping to force the Charmed Ones into destroying the barrier separating magic from the rest of the world.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Charmed 111: The Walls Of Youdu

It was a bitterly cold Sunday morning in San Francisco, just a few degrees below freezing, and everywhere in the city, lamps, fixtures and signs were glazed with a thin sheet of ice. Inside Prue Trudeau's modest apartment, Prue and her baby sister Paige Matthews were feeling a different kind of cold, an icy terror slowly closing over their hearts; for as each minute passed, they began to suspect that something terrible had befallen their beloved middle sister, Phoebe Halliwell.  
Phoebe had gone out for a quick run before breakfast over three hours earlier. But now, as the morning wore on, Prue could not ignore her quickening heartbeat, or the dread she felt that her sister's tardiness was from no innocent cause.  
Prue took to pacing the floor, but she was far too pragmatic to expend all her energy in such a useless fashion for very long. She turned to her sister.  
"Paige, do you still have your map of downtown with you?"  
Ebony haired Paige looked up at her older sister in puzzlement. "Yeah. In my purse. Why?"  
"Bring it into the kitchen, please."  
Paige rummaged in her oversized purse, found the folded map and brought it into the kitchen as requested. Prue took the map, unfolded it, and laid it out over the small kitchen table. Prue's four year old daughter, Patience, and Prue's fiancé Darryl Morris looked on, their faces painted with worry.  
Prue disappeared into her bedroom for a moment, and returned with Phoebe's hairbrush and a delicate polished crystal dangling from the end of a long silver chain.  
"Something has happened to Phoebe, hasn't it?" Paige asked anxiously.  
"I don't know. But I'm worried," Prue admitted. She took a single strand of hair from the brush and carefully wound it around the crystal, tying it off with a loop. Paige frowned.  
"What are you doing?"  
Prue didn't answer. Instead, she closed her eyes, held the crystal to her breast, and began to recite a spell in a low, melodic tone, half-spoken, half-sung. The words were in no language Paige knew, and she could only look on helplessly. Prue opened her eyes, now reflecting glints of supernatural flame. Paige drew in a sharp breath. She had seen this aspect of her sister before, but it still startled and cowed her.  
Prue dangled the crystal over the map, spinning it ever so slightly, so that the polished stone made a wide, lazy circle just scant millimeters off the surface of the paper. Prue closed her eyes once more, and again began reciting the spell, so low and soft to be just barely audible. Suddenly, the crystal yanked on its chain, its pointed end clinging to a spot on the map as if magnetized there. Paige made a little yelp of alarm at the sudden movement, but then both sisters leaned forward to see where the crystal pointed.  
"Golden Gate park?" Paige frowned in puzzlement. "Is that where Phoebe is? How did she get all the way over - "  
She looked up at Prue, and then an awful realization struck her. "Oh, God," she whispered hoarsely. "The barrier."  
"Paige, get your coat," Prue ordered tersely. She turned to Darryl, unable to keep the fear and worry from her eyes.  
"What do you want me to do?" Darryl asked simply.  
"Stay here, with Patience," Prue answered, hugging him tightly. Darryl could feel Prue's heart pounding in her chest.  
"Is that all?"  
"Keep her safe," Prue pleaded. "Keep yourself safe."  
She kissed him passionately. "We will be home soon," she promised.  
Prue next knelt beside her daughter.  
"Is Auntie Phoebe okay?" Patience asked anxiously.  
"Yes, sweetheart, she's fine," Prue assured her daughter, trying desperately not to let her own fear show. "Auntie Paige and I are going to go get her, and we will all be home soon, okay?"  
Reluctantly, Patience nodded, and Prue hugged her daughter tightly. "You stay here with Daddy, and we'll be right back. I promise. I love you."  
"I love you, mommy," Patience answered, hugging Prue fiercely around the neck with her small arms.  
Paige had shrugged herself into her long winter coat, and could not hide her fear as Prue joined her at the doorway. Prue looked at her baby sister with similar worry.  
"We are going to find her," she said, with deepest conviction, hastily pulling on her jacket. "And we're bringing her home safe. Okay?"  
Tearfully, Paige nodded, not trusting herself to speak.  
"All right then. Let's go." Prue made sure she had her car keys in her pocket, and then the two sisters hurried from the apartment.

* * * 

Groggily, Phoebe Halliwell opened her eyes. She felt disoriented and her vision would not focus. She could only make out that wherever she was, the place was dimly lit, but agreeably warm. A slightly damp, musty smell reached her nostrils - the smell of earth. She was somewhere underground.  
She closed her eyes again and waited patiently while her senses slowly restarted themselves. The place she was in was quiet, but she could hear someone moving around nearby. The movements were slow and unhurried. Her twisted ankle throbbed terribly. Despite the musty smell, she was breathing freely. She tried to push herself upright, but fell back in agony as she tried to put weight on her elbow. She had injured it in her fall and it was now useless. She could not help involuntarily crying out from the pain.  
Instantly, there were people at her side; a cold hand pressed gently to her forehead and to her other arm, holding her still. She heard a soft male voice saying something in Cantonese, but the words were not addressed to her. Someone else, standing nearby, hurried away.  
"Don't try to move," the voice said, this time in English. "We've sent for a healer. Do you understand?"  
Slowly, Phoebe made the barest nod of her head, and the hands withdrew. She was laying flat on her back on some hard, cool surface - most likely stone. She drew in a deep breath, feeling utterly wretched.  
The hands returned, gently pushing underneath her head, lifting it up slightly. A cup was pressed to her lips.  
"It's water," said the voice. "Sip it slowly."  
Obediently, Phoebe drank, and as she swallowed the cold, clear liquid, she did feel slightly better. The hand cradling her head set her back down and withdrew.  
"Where - am I?" she asked finally. Her voice sounded curiously strange to her.  
"Don't try to talk yet," said the voice. "Rest. The effects of the drug will wear off soon."  
_Was I drugged then?_ Phoebe tried to make sense of the words, but her mind seemed a hopeless jumble. Unable to orient herself in any way, Phoebe experimentally moved her arms and legs. She was not restrained, but her ankle protested with sharp shooting pains whenever she tried to move it. Resigned, she lay still, trying to settle the gaping chasm in her thoughts.  
Slowly, the fog lifted from her mind, and she vaguely remembered that she had left Prue's apartment for a morning run, had slipped and fallen on the pavement, injuring both her ankle and her elbow - and then, after that - she couldn't remember. Was she in a hospital? No, that made no sense. She was clearly underground, the smell of earth was quite strong now, and there was just the faintest trace of echo with any sound. A cavern then? She decided to risk opening her eyes.  
Once again, her vision blurred, but Phoebe blinked furiously, trying to focus, and slowly, her sight began to clear. She could see faint torchlight reflecting off stone only a few steps away. Remembering her right elbow was badly injured, she instead shifted her weight to her left. Instantly, the hands returned.  
"Do you wish to sit up?"  
Phoebe nodded in response to the question, and arms and hands encircled her, supporting her back, and slowly lifted her to a sitting position. Phoebe grimaced as her ankle protested with any movement. Something was placed behind her back, like a tall cushion, and as she sank against it, the voice added, "Do not try to move your leg. Your ankle is badly sprained."  
Phoebe sat patiently, eyes closed, and finally her senses and motor coordination seemed restored. With great relief, Phoebe found she was able to bring the hand of her uninjured arm to her face, and gently rub her forehead and eyelids. She let the hand drop to her side.  
"Do you want more water?"  
Phoebe nodded, and the cup returned to her lips; she drank the entire contents gratefully. There was a slight oriental accent to the male voice, but she could not place it.  
"Thank you," she murmured, as the cup was taken away.  
She opened her eyes, and for the first time, could see clearly around her, not that there was much to see. As she had surmised, she was in some kind of small cave with a low roof, and she could hear but not see the crackle of a flaming torch somewhere behind her. It was apparently the only source of light in the space. She was reclining on a large, flat rock near the farthest wall, wide enough and long enough to serve as a makeshift bed. Standing beside her was a male figure in an ornately brocaded uniform, the foundation of which was a set of flowing black robes. A large curved sword hung off the right hip in a leather scabbard. The face was neither human nor animal, but some strange mixture of each. The expression was one of practiced impassiveness, but the eyes betrayed concern.  
"Where am I?" Phoebe asked again.  
"You are near a place which you refer to as the Golden Gate Park," the figure answered.  
"Why have I been brought here?"  
"We need your help."  
"You could have just asked," Phoebe protested, shifting herself gingerly into a more comfortable sitting position. "There was no need to abduct me."  
"We could not take the chance that you would refuse us, as you did the guardians of Utpala."  
"Utpala?" Phoebe repeated numbly, not comprehending. "The 'Blue Lotus'? What is that?"  
Two other figures approached; another male, dressed in a similar uniform to the first, but with the head of an ox, the other, a tall, emaciated woman with long, jet black hair, pale white skin, dressed in a flowing white gown. The woman's eyes were simply empty sockets, dark red and pooled with fresh blood. Phoebe recoiled in fright, but the hands of her interrogator held her fast.  
"Do not be afraid. She is a healer. She will tend to your injuries."  
Phoebe was neither well enough or strong enough to protest, so she mutely submitted; the eyeless woman stood by Phoebe's side, and her long, grey fingers - twice as long as any normal person's - carefully wrapped around Phoebe's swollen ankle. Someone had earlier removed her sock and shoe, and her foot was bare. Phoebe felt a deep, penetrating warmth, dulling her pain. Phoebe closed her eyes, sighed deeply, and waited. Slowly the pain seeped away.  
The woman spoke to the man then, again in Cantonese, and while Phoebe did not understand the words, it was clear the import regarded the extent of Phoebe's injuries. The man turned to Phoebe.  
"Gaun-yin says that your elbow has a slight fracture. If you will permit her to remove your jacket, she will heal that injury as well."  
Phoebe nodded her consent, then leaned forward slightly, unzipping the front of her hoodie. She shrugged herself out of the left side with her good shoulder and arm, then grimaced with pain as Gaun-yin's long fingers gently tugged the other sleeve free. Phoebe winced at the sight of her elbow, badly swollen and bruised. She turned her head away as the healer's fingers coiled around her arm like double-jointed talons. Again, Phoebe could feel the deep, penetrating heat and slowly, the pain subsided. As the healer's hands withdrew, Phoebe gingerly tested her ankle, flexing her bare foot; there was some slight pain, but nothing compared to the agony she felt earlier. She then looked at her arm, and with some surprise saw the swelling entirely gone, the bruising greatly reduced. She swung her lower arm carefully, and experienced no pain in the joint. Sighing with relief, she smiled gratefully at the woman in white.  
"Xièxiè," Phoebe said hesitantly, hoping she had remembered the correct Cantonese phrase to express gratitude.  
The healer merely turned away, but as she did so, the ox-headed guard stepped quickly to her side, supporting her at the left elbow, and slowly, she limped painfully away with his help. Phoebe looked after them in dismay.  
"She has taken your injuries unto herself," the man said. "It is the way with healers."  
Phoebe bowed her head, feeling very humbled. "Please tell her I am very grateful," she said softly.  
"You would do well to spare me your gratitude, Charmed One, and instead show me the compassion of which so often is spoken of you."  
Phoebe lifted her head, frowning, sensing rebuke in the man's words but not understanding why.  
"Please tell me your name," she begged, "And tell me why I am here."  
"Dress yourself first," came the curt reply. "Your sisters will soon arrive, and I will explain everything then."  
Phoebe slowly shrugged herself back into her hoodie and zipped up the front. She lay back against the cushion behind her with a sigh.  
"Are you a demon?"  
The man's lip curled in wry amusement. "Is that what you believe me to be?"  
Phoebe frowned for a moment, considering, and then shook her head. "No," she said finally. "But whatever you are, you're not a mortal man."  
"I am no one of any importance," he said simply. "I have neither rank nor station in this world."  
"But, surely you have a name," Phoebe pressed. "How shall I address you?"  
The man paused for a moment, considering. "You may call me Yaozu," he said finally.  
"Yaozu," Phoebe repeated the name slowly, taking note of it. Slowly, she swung her legs off the stone slab.  
"Do not attempt to stand," Yaozu cautioned. "You may be without pain now, but your ankle will not be able to support your weight for another day, perhaps two."  
Phoebe regarded the creature with some deliberation. "You are disappointed in me," she observed quietly.  
Yaozu regarded Phoebe in his turn. "And you seek to use your Charmed gifts to divine my intentions," he declared.  
"I have been blessed with the gift of . . . sometimes seeing the truth of things," Phoebe said carefully. "I'm not always wise enough to understand the truths that are shown to me."  
"It is well that you recognize your failings," Yaozu said flatly.  
"Then, please, tell me how I have failed you," Phoebe implored. "I'm pretty sure you and I have never met."  
"No, we have not."  
"Have I harmed someone you care about, then?"  
Yaozu scrutinized Phoebe so closely she began to feel distinctly uncomfortable. "Is it not the sacred trust of the Charmed Ones to be protectors of the innocent?" he asked finally.  
"Yes, it is."  
"Then why did you not act, when the guardians of Utpala approached you, and openly begged you for your help?"  
Phoebe frowned and shook her head, not understanding.  
"You spoke with them only the other day. Do you not remember?"  
An ugly realization struck her.  
"Oh, no," she murmured in dismay. "Skritch."  
"You realize at last," Yaozu shook his head in complete disgust.  
"You mean - the demons we saw - they were - "  
"The mere fact you call them 'demons' shows your complete lack of understanding," Yaozu cut Phoebe off sharply. "You are . . . contemptible."  
Phoebe bowed her head, anguished. She was now sure she'd made a grave error in judgment - and that the consequences of her inaction had been tragic.  
"Yaozu, please," she said in a low voice, "Tell me what the guardians of Utpala are, and what you are."  
Sensing genuine repentance in Phoebe's demeanor, Yaozu regarded her slightly less coldly.  
"As I said. I have neither rank nor station in this world, nor in my own, for that matter. The guardians serve as I do. It was my good fortune to have been born to honorable parents in the great city of Youdu, in the Region of Darkness, also known as Diyu, or the Yellow Springs. I have served, as many generations of my family have done before me, at the pleasure of my eternal King and Sovereign, in the ranks of the guardians at the court of Kalasutra, or the Naraka of the Black Thread."  
Involuntarily, Phoebe's powers kicked in, and as Yaozu spoke, Phoebe could see him taking out his long sword, and savagely hacking at the bodies of souls in torment, listening to them shrieking and howling in agony as he slowly and methodically dismembered them. He smiled a ghastly smile, taking great pleasure in his gruesome task, the spattered blood of his victims trickling in rivulets down his face. Then the victims somehow re-formed, made whole, and the torment began anew. Phoebe shuddered, trying desperately not to retch.  
Yaozu seemed to understand that Phoebe could "see" his life, and he nodded.  
"You are appalled," he observed.  
Phoebe could barely manage a nod, still fighting off her sudden nausea.  
"You do not understand," Yaozu said. "You see only fragments of my existence, not the whole. You view me - what is the phrase you use? - out of context."  
He waited for a few moments, until Phoebe was calmer. "We serve as all guardians do, to ensure proper penance of all sins and misdeeds in this life," he offered by way of explanation. "Once balance is achieved, and the souls in our charge are finally purged of their evil, only then are they free to move on to their next life. There really are no words in your language, your culture, to properly describe what we are. The closest equivalent I've personally encountered is 'penitentiary guard' - but to call us that would completely misunderstand and misrepresent what we are, and what we do."  
"I think . . . I have made a terrible mistake," Phoebe moaned in anguish.  
"Yes, you have," Yaozu agreed gravely.  
"I had no idea they were dying," Phoebe protested.  
"No? Do you truly wish to offer that lie as your defense? Did you not declare, to your own sister, how sick and enfeebled they appeared to you?"  
"I thought - "  
"You thought to yourself, they are only demons. And the only good demon is a dead demon. Is that not so?"  
"That's not fair," Phoebe retorted angrily. "I never felt anything of the sort."  
"Then what did you feel?"  
"Fear. I was frightened," Phoebe admitted after a moment. "I had never seen so many de-" Phoebe halted abruptly. "Guardians," she corrected herself, "So many guardians in one place, at one time. My sister and I were very frightened."  
"And you think that excuses your behavior?"  
"I guess not," Phoebe said sadly. "They were in pain. I knew it. I saw it. I just - "  
"Could not bring yourself to act upon it," Yaozu finished coldly.  
"Is there nothing I can do, to make it right?"  
"For those you have spurned, nothing," Yaozu answered pitilessly. "Their lives are lost, and you shall be meted your punishment, as all are, at the proper time. And in spite of this, you and your weird sisters can do something providential."  
"The barrier," Phoebe murmured, suddenly understanding. "You want us to bring down the barrier holding magic back."  
Yaozu shook his head in disbelief. "How is it, you understand so little of what it is you control?" he questioned aloud. "A small child comprehends more than you."  
Sighing deeply, he made an attempt to explain. "The barrier, as you call it, prevents all movement between the worlds of the living and the dead. There are those now, in the realms of darkness, who have paid for their sins, but they are trapped where they are. They cannot move on to their next life. They remain in torment. And there are a handful, like myself, trapped here on Earth, unable to return home to carry out our sacred duties. You and your sisters can change all that. You can restore the balance, and free those who are meant to move on."  
"Yaozu, please," Phoebe begged, "My sisters and I have already decided we have to take down the barrier, and restore magic to the world. We - we just don't know how."  
"That scarcely surprises me," Yaozu snorted.  
"Please. There's no need for this. My sisters will agree to help, gladly. We just want to make sure we don't cause more harm than good by our actions."  
"The harm caused by your family is already incalculable," Yaozu pointed out. "Balance is gone from the world, and the whole world suffers as a result."  
"Then help us," Phoebe pleaded. "If you can see into my heart, then you know I'm not the Dark Charmed One. I've only been in this reality a few months. I can't pretend to know everything that's going on. I don't. But I truly believe I was brought here to help make things right again."  
Yaozu regarded the young witch impassively.  
"You want to call me ignorant, fine," Phoebe continued. "I'll take that. I'll own it. And if you want to condemn me for not protecting innocents, then so be it. I will accept the deaths of Skritch and the other guardians as my fault. I will accept responsibility for that failure and take the consequences. I'm only asking, whatever you think of me, put it aside. Help us. Help us to do what needs to be done."  
Yaozu cocked his head slightly, staring at Phoebe, then slowly, he nodded in grudging approval.  
"You are willing to atone," he said quietly. "I must confess, I did not expect that."  
"I'm not the other Phoebe," Phoebe said with conviction. "But if I have wronged anyone . . . even unintentionally . . . I expect to have to answer for that."  
Yaozu nodded once again, apparently coming to a decision. "Your sisters will be here soon," he said, not unkindly. "You had best prepare yourself."

* * *

"I hate this."  
Paige glanced over at Prue, whose jaw was clenched with seething anger. She noted that her sister's hands were holding the steering wheel so tightly that her knuckles were white.  
"Hate what?" Paige asked hesitantly.  
"It's starting all over again," Prue muttered, almost to herself. "The threats. The attacks. The kidnappings. No peace, no calm, no safety."  
"Prue, we don't know for sure that Phoebe has been kidnapped," Paige said in a small voice.  
"Don't we?" Prue's voice was dripping with bitterness. "Do you think Phoebe just went for a stroll in Golden Gate Park, Paige?"  
Paige absorbed Prue's angry comment like a blow to the chin. She sat in silence for a few moments, smarting from the sting of her sister's words, and then said quietly, "This isn't like you, Prue."  
"What do you mean?"  
"I mean you're not like this. Angry. Vengeful."  
"Well, then I guess you don't know me very well, little sister."  
"Prue, stop it. Just stop it," Paige said, more forcefully. "I do know you, Prue, and this isn't you. I know you're scared. I am too. And if you want to be mad, fine. But don't be mad at me!"  
Prue took her eyes off the road for just a moment to look at her baby sister. Paige's eyes were tearing up, but her look was one of determination.  
"I know you're just as worried about Phoebe as I am," Paige said quietly. "But I need you too, Prue. I need my big sister more than ever right now. Be my big sister. Please."  
They drove in uncomfortable silence for a time, arriving at Golden Gate Park a few minutes later. Prue found a parking spot, guided the SUV in, and shut off the ignition. She sighed heavily.  
"I'm sorry, Paige," she said at last, still staring out the car window. "Yes. I'm worried about Phoebe. More than worried. I'm really, really scared."  
Paige reached over and took her sister's hand in hers, squeezing it gently.  
"Let's go find our sister, and then go home," she suggested.  
Prue looked over at Paige and managed a somber smile.  
"Damn good advice, baby sister," she murmured gratefully, and Paige returned the smile willingly, apology completely accepted.  
They stepped from the car, closing the doors. Prue shivered, not entirely from the cold.  
"So how do we find her?" Paige asked, adjusting her coat.  
"We don't need to," Prue answered grimly. "Whoever wants us here will be watching for us. They'll make themselves known soon enough. Come on, let's go."  
She started walking in the general direction of the barrier. Paige caught up to Prue, and slipped her gloved hand inside her sister's. As they walked hand in hand through the thickening forest, Prue caught sight of something out of the corner of her eye, and halted in mid-stride.  
"What is it?" Paige asked apprehensively.  
Prue tilted her head off to their right. Paige turned slightly and saw the ox-headed guard emerging from the trees. She almost laughed.  
"Aww, it looks so cute! Is it a minotaur?" she asked.  
Prue swallowed hard, and her face showed genuine fear. "No," she rasped. "It's something far, far worse."  
Paige frowned in puzzlement at her sister's reaction, but trusted her judgment and lapsed into what she hoped was a reverent silence.  
"Paige, if he looks directly at you, go down on your knees and bow before him," Prue whispered fiercely into her sister's ear. "Don't ask, just do it."  
"Who is he? What is he?" Paige whispered back.  
The ox-headed guard did not look at them; instead, satisfied he had been seen, turned and tramped away into the denser foliage.  
"Come on," Prue muttered.  
"We're following?"  
"We're following," Prue nodded.  
The sisters sprinted after the figure, and after a brisk walk of only a few minutes, found themselves next to a shallow crevasse in the earth, which terminated into the side of the hill as a small entrance into a cave.  
Prue knelt down and examined the near-frozen ground beneath her.  
"Too hard for leaving tracks," she gritted her teeth in frustration. "But I'm sure that's where he went."  
"In - there?" Paige asked dubiously.  
"Yup."  
"We're going in?"  
"Yes, we are. Stay close to me, Paige. Real close."  
"Not a problem," Paige shuddered.  
Apprehensively, the sisters approached the entrance. The cave mouth, like the ravine that protected it, was low and shallow, but large enough for a man to pass through in a crouch. Prue knelt down, but before entering, she created a small fireball in one hand.  
"Just in case," she said to Paige, and then awkwardly scrabbled forward into the darkness, ducking her head down as she passed the entrance. Paige followed right behind, one small hand tugging at the hem of her sister's jacket.  
Once inside, the cavern widened out almost immediately, and Prue straightened up, snuffed out her fireball and helped Paige to her feet. To the sisters' immense relief, they saw Phoebe sitting up on a slab of rock, grinning at them.  
"Pheeble!" Paige cried joyfully, rushing into her sister's arms. "You're okay!"  
"I am now," Phoebe declared, hugging her sister tightly.  
"Don't ever scare us like that again," Paige declared, pressing her head to her sister's breast. "We were sure something bad had happened to you."  
Prue glanced around apprehensively before coming forward and hugging Phoebe tightly.  
"We're not alone," Phoebe cautioned, accepting Prue's hug.  
"I didn't think we were," Prue admitted. She noticed Phoebe's one bare foot.  
"I turned my ankle," Phoebe explained, almost sheepishly, as she caught Prue's worried glance. "I'll need you guys to help me walk when it's time to leave."  
"We're leaving right now," Paige said emphatically.  
Phoebe shook her head sadly. "We can't, Paige."  
"Why not?"  
Prue heard a slight movement behind them, and she turned to see Yaozu standing in front of the cave mouth.  
"Prue, Paige, this is Yaozu," Phoebe made introductions. "He hasn't hurt me," she added quickly, seeing Prue stiffening into a battle crouch. "And he won't hurt you, either."  
Prue inhaled sharply, taking note of the guard's uniform; then, to her sisters' utter surprise, she dropped to one knee in genuflection, bowing her head, and steepling her hands before her. She softly intoned a string of phrases in Mandarin, and then slowly got to her feet.  
Yaozu seemed genuinely impressed by the gesture, and bowed in his turn.  
"You honor me," he said simply.  
"You are far from home, Lord Yaozu," Prue observed.  
"I have been stranded on this plane for nearly four of your years," Yaozu answered.  
"Who is this guy?" Paige asked in utter bafflement.  
Prue smiled grimly. "That's a loaded question, Paige. You could call him a demon, but you'd only be half right. He belongs to the Court of Songdi. He's what we would consider a prison guard of Hell."  
"Prue, I've seen what he does," Phoebe cautioned. "He - he hacks people to pieces with that sword of his - "  
"Ugh!" Paige shuddered in revulsion.  
"Of course he does, Phoebe," Prue shushed her. "That's his job."  
She addressed Yaozu directly. "My sisters won't understand fully the service you render unto your King," she said. "You seek the balance. You honor The Way."  
"The Way is all there is," Yaozu nodded in appreciation. "You surprise me, Charmed One."  
"My sisters are both fledglings in the craft. I implore you to overlook their ignorance. They intend no malice."  
"Ah, but I am a creature of malice," Yaozu pointed out. "I cannot be forgiving."  
"Yet I insist that you do forgive them, so that we may assist your great purpose."  
Paige shot a puzzled look at Phoebe, but Phoebe just shook her head; she didn't understand what Prue was trying to do, either.  
"They need to be trained in The Way," Yaozu declared forcefully.  
"I have already started to teach them, Lord, and in time, they will know and understand."  
"Very well." Yaozu seemed satisfied with that answer.  
"Now, let us address your real concern. You have summoned us here on a pressing matter."  
"I have indeed."  
"There was no need for you to abduct my sister. You could have approached us openly, and we would gladly help you. I believe that you and we have the same object in mind - removal of the barrier, and restoration of the balance."  
Yaozu's strangely simian eyes narrowed, the iris of his eyes melting like wax until appearing as something reptilian. "Do you mean to say, you will refuse your help, because of the method I chose to bring this abomination to your attention?"  
"Never, Lord. We will assist you. I only ask, in future, announce yourself openly. My sisters know you now, and I will instruct them in the courtesies of your court."  
Yaozu's shifting face settled back into something more human. "You know more of the customs of Diyu than I would have expected of you," he admitted.  
"I have visited your realm before."  
"Yes," Yaozu said thoughtfully. "Yes, I see you speak the truth. Very few living mortals have ever seen the walls of Youdu from the inside. Perhaps I have underestimated all the Charmed Ones."  
As Prue frowned in puzzlement, he added, "Even your sister, not knowing our ways, has confessed her guilt, and accepted her penance."  
"She's done what?" Prue blanched. She turned to Phoebe, a panicked look on her face. "What did you say to him?" she demanded.  
Phoebe frowned, partly from puzzlement, partly from fright. "About what?"  
"Confessing your guilt. What did you say to him, Phoebe? What were the exact words?"  
Phoebe was becoming genuinely frightened now. "I said . . . that I would accept responsibility for the deaths of the guardians of Utpala, and take the consequences," she admitted in a shaking voice.  
Prue grimaced violently, and Phoebe was certain that Prue was on the verge of tears. Prue pressed her fingers to the bridge of her nose in a valiant effort to contain her feelings. She finally looked up, blinking furiously to keep from crying.  
"Phoebe . . . Paige . . . both of you, not another word," she ordered sternly. "Do not say one single solitary thing unless I tell you it's okay. Is that understood?"  
Paige opened her mouth to reply, then thought better of it, and nodded silently.  
Prue pulled Phoebe close, and inclined her head until their foreheads were touching.  
"Not another word, Phoebe," she whispered softly. "I am going to have to negotiate your release with Lord Yaozu. Thank God, we have something he wants, otherwise, he would be empowered to drag you off to Hell with him when this is over - and I wouldn't be able to stop him."  
Phoebe began to tremble with absolute dread, and Prue looked at her sisters solemnly. "No matter what happens to me next, do nothing," she said quietly. "You understand? Nothing."  
Phoebe and Paige nodded tearfully, clinging to each other and shaking with fear.  
Prue swallowed hard, then turned back to face Yaozu.  
"My sisters and I are not to be punished by you," she said, speaking in Mandarin, so her sisters would not be able to understand the conversation.  
Yaozu nearly snorted in amusement. "You dare to command the will of a servant of Yama? This is arrogance indeed."  
"Not arrogance. Practicality."  
"Oh yes?" Yaozu arched an eyebrow, intrigued. "Tell me more."  
"If you insist on applying the punishment of Kalasutra to myself or my sisters, they will be too traumatized to work their magic. You would never be able to return home."  
"I must serve the Way. The higher purpose always," Yaozu protested. "The law must apply to all, or it means nothing."  
"I am not suggesting you simply look the other way. But Phoebe's only real crime was not understanding. She wants to do the right thing. If you take her now to be punished, or worse, take me or Paige - she would never recover from that."  
Yaozu looked at Prue impassively, then regarded the quaking, tearful Phoebe.  
"Look at her, Lord Yaozu, you know I speak the truth. Phoebe would not understand what is expected of her. She would suffer without purpose. Her penance would mean nothing. And there is a greater good to be gained here. First, you wish to return home. Second, I am sure there are spirits in Diyu who have completed their penance, and are ready to move on to their next lives. In order for these things to happen, then I need Phoebe and Paige, whole and unharmed. If you seek to punish any of us now, then the greater purpose is thwarted."  
Yoazu's brow thickened and turned elephantine, as he considered Prue's words.  
"My petition is this. Let my sisters and I go free, so that we may restore the balance. We are Wiccans. The harmony of nature and serving the balance is uppermost in our desires. When the barrier is down, then I beg you to carry my personal appeal to King Songdi to grant my sister release under these extraordinary circumstances. I am confident that the king will consider the appeal, and find you blameless in suspending your duties in this instance."  
Yaozu was now clearly pondering his course, so Prue added in desperation: "You know I speak honestly. We cannot thwart the will of Yama. There is nowhere my sisters and I could hide ourselves to escape retribution, were we to speak or act otherwise."  
Yaozu's features resumed their slightly simian appearance. His decision made, he nodded gravely. Prue didn't dare breathe as he approached Phoebe. Phoebe looked up at him, trembling and tearful.  
"Your sister has secured your release," he announced in English. "Her petition is accepted. She is wiser than her years, and she speaks with humility and wisdom before The Way. You are freed from your atonement - for now."  
Prue sighed with inexpressible relief. "Thank you, Lord Yaozu. My sisters and I must now prepare ourselves for the ordeal to come. We beg your leave to withdraw."  
"It is well." Yaozu's gaze had not left Phoebe's. "Learn from your sister," he said quietly. "Let her teach you respect for The Way, and for the customs of Diyu."  
"I will." Phoebe's voice had been reduced to a whisper.  
Yaozu turned then to Prue. "And you will act promptly to end this abomination, or I will claim you all, for endless suffering without purpose."  
"There is no need to threaten us, Lord Yaozu," Prue said evenly. "We understand what must be done. And we will act as I have said."  
"Then go."  
Without taking her eyes off the demon lord, Prue called out to her sisters. "Paige, help Phoebe. We're leaving."  
Neither Phoebe nor Paige needed to be told twice. Phoebe grabbed her loose shoe, and stood up with Paige's help. Prue took Phoebe's other arm, and they helped her limp to the cave entrance, where they each ducked down and crawled through to open air. Once outside, Prue put a finger to her lips, indicating they should remain silent. Paige helped Phoebe into her unlaced shoe, so her bare foot would not be exposed to the extreme cold. Helping Phoebe up, the sisters hurried away.  
Once they reached the parking lot, Prue seemed to lose some of her fear. She tearfully grabbed first Phoebe, then Paige, bestowing on each of them a crushing bearhug.  
"I was really in trouble, wasn't I?" Phoebe asked softly.  
"Phoebe, you really don't want to know how much trouble we were in," Prue shuddered.  
"So, what do we do now?"  
"For right now, we go home and clean ourselves up. And tonight, Phoebe, you and I are going to write a power of three spell to bring down the barrier once and for all."  
"Count me in," Paige interjected. "I'm not getting left out of this."  
Prue smiled wanly. "Absolutely, Paige. We could really use your help."  
Paige looked at her big sister with concern. "You want me to drive?" she asked. "You look a little shaky."  
Prue gratefully handed the car keys to her sister. "Thanks, Paige."

* * *

After arriving back at Prue's apartment, Phoebe instantly went sprawling onto the sofa bed, which still had not been made up from the morning. After Paige had hung up her coat and removed her boots, she crawled in beside Phoebe, spooning her protectively. Patience, seeing her aunties returned, joyfully bounded onto the bed and wormed her way into Phoebe's arms, and Phoebe hugged her niece tightly.  
"Good to see you, kiddo," she murmured, kissing the girl's cheek.  
Patience wrinkled up her nose. "You smell like dirt, Auntie Phoebe."  
Phoebe giggled helplessly. "That's right, sweetie. I've been playing in dirt."  
Prue sought immediate solace in Darryl's arms.  
"Everything okay?" he asked with concern, embracing Prue tightly.  
"It is now," Prue sighed, resting her head against his chest and closing her eyes.  
By unspoken consent, the entire household went down for a long nap. Prue and Darryl retreated to the privacy of the master bedroom, while Paige drew the curtains in the living room, then returned to the sofa bed and pulled a large heavy quilt over herself, her sister and her niece. It was several hours before anyone stirred.  
Phoebe awoke some time later, hearing both Paige and Patience talking in hushed voices. She groggily lifted her head to see her sister and niece sitting together, a picture book between them, making up stories to go along with the illustrations. Phoebe smiled, putting her head back down, a profound sense of happiness and well-being washing over her. Patience noticed her auntie stirring under the blankets.  
"Is she awake?" Patience whispered to Paige.  
"Ask her," Paige said with a grin.  
"Are you awake, Auntie Phoebe?"  
"I'm hibernating," Phoebe protested, her voice muffled under the quilt. "Wake me on May first."  
"Let her be," Paige whispered to her niece. "She'll be properly awake in a while."  
Phoebe continued to drift in and out of consciousness for a time, hearing random snippets of conversation between her sisters.  
"Do you guys mind if I borrow your shower?" Paige was asking. "And a change of clothes? I've been camped out here for two days now, and I'm really starting to feel skunky."  
Prue laughed easily. "Sure. If you want to borrow a razor, or any personal care products, help yourself. Look in the drawers just to the left of the bathroom sink."  
"I can wait until I get home to shave," Paige decided. "I just need to remove about six layers of grime for right now."  
"Are you going to spend the night?"  
"If we're writing spells, then yeah. If that's okay."  
"We're writing spells," Prue assured her. "And it's more than okay."  
"Great. Can I borrow your phone? I need to call Henry, and my boss."  
"My home is yours, Paige. Whatever you need," Prue said simply.  
A short time later, Phoebe heard a phone call being made, but it wasn't Paige calling, it was Prue.  
"Hey, Rex. Yeah, it's me. Sorry. I know it's late. I'm having trouble with that Gilgamesh translation you left for me . . . great. Thanks, Rex. I'll see you soon."  
Phoebe pushed herself upright from under the blankets, and rubbed her eyes. "Are you seriously calling Rex in the middle of the night about a book?" she asked, yawning.  
Prue smiled tolerantly at her sister. "It's not the middle of the night, Phoebe, it's four in the afternoon."  
"I meant in England." She looked around. "Where's Paige?"  
"In the shower. And dinner is in one hour, so you might want to hop in right after her." She looked at her sister appraisingly. "How are you feeling?" she asked quietly.  
"Good," Phoebe answered, almost surprised at how good she felt. The terror of the morning seemed to have faded away, like a bad dream. "In fact, feeling great."  
"Glad to hear it," Prue smiled. "We have a lot of work to do tonight."  
She started to turn away, but Phoebe called her back.  
"Hey, Prue?"  
"Yeah, Phoebe."  
"Thank you." She gave her sister a grateful smile. "For saving my life. Again."  
Prue looked at her sister, and there was no mistaking the love shining in her eyes. "I love you," she said simply. "And I will do whatever I have to, to protect you." She hurried from the room.  
Phoebe leaned back against the couch, sincerely wondering if she could ever be worthy of the sort of selfless devotion that Prue always displayed towards her. As she pondered, a sudden inspiration struck her, and she bounded from the sofa bed, grabbing the steno pad and a pencil from the small table on which the phone sat. Gratefully, she realized that while her ankle was still sore, she could now put her full weight on it, and silently thanked the demon healer in her thoughts. Returning to the couch, she thought for a moment, and then began to scribble furiously on the pad.  
A short time later, after Phoebe had showered and changed into a simple blouse and jeans, she entered the kitchen to find Darryl, Patience and Paige already seated at the small table, and Prue just getting ready to serve the evening meal.  
"Do you need any help?" Phoebe asked Prue.  
Her eldest sister smiled and shook her head. "Have a seat."  
Phoebe gave Paige a quick hug in passing before settling herself into the empty seat next to her. Paige was wearing one of Phoebe's sweatshirts and dark slacks, both slightly baggy on Paige's smaller frame.  
"Are those my clothes you're wearing?" she asked with a suspicious grin.  
"Yes," Paige retorted, "And be glad, because the stuff I was wearing really reeks after two days of spelunking."  
Phoebe gave her sister a grateful smile. "Thanks for digging me out."  
"Any time," Paige grinned back.  
Prue brought the last of the dishes to the table, and the family dug into a delicious meal of baked tomatoes stuffed with quinoa, spinach and mushrooms, asparagus hollandaise, and deep fried sweet potato wedges.  
"Are you absolutely sure you didn't turn into Piper?" Phoebe asked Prue teasingly, digging into the meal with great gusto.  
"I think she's been dropping hints in my ear when I'm asleep," Prue laughed. Like Phoebe, the terror of the morning seemed to have left her entirely, and she was carefree and happy - at least for the moment.  
"Do you ladies need the apartment for private time later?" Darryl asked.  
"Probably," Prue admitted. "I have no idea how long it's going to take us to write a power of three spell - we've been talking about it for days as it is."  
"I think I can help there, Prue," Phoebe raised her hand between bites of her dinner. "I came up with something just in the last hour that might work. But I need you and Paige to look it over."  
"A new spell? Something to bring down the barrier?" Paige asked.  
"I hope so, yeah."  
As soon as the family finished eating, Darryl set about cleaning the kitchen, Patience curled up in her mother's lap, and Phoebe returned to her room just long enough to retrieve her paper, and brought it back to the table. She handed it first to Paige, who read it carefully, then she in turn handed it to Prue.  
Prue snorted in vexation as she realized she didn't have her glasses. "Sweetie, will you go get my glasses off the coffee table, please?" she asked her daughter.  
Patience scampered away and brought the glasses a moment later. She crawled back into her mother's lap, and Prue read over the paper, and looked up at Phoebe in surprise.  
"I was just thinking - we've talking about the barrier as if it's a thing," Phoebe said self-consciously. "But - if what we think is true - it's really not. And we needed to address the problem in a different way."  
"This might work," she said, nodding approvingly. "Nice job, Phoebe."  
"Thanks. What do you think, Paige?"  
"I don't know enough to say if it will work," Paige offered hesitantly. "But I'm in. Just tell me what I need to do, and I'll do it."  
"It's a power of three spell, sweetie. We just need to hold hands and chant it together."  
"If we're all agreed to try this, then, when and where do we do it?" Paige asked.  
"We go back to the park. Tonight," Prue answered. "As close as we can get to the barrier without actually touching it."  
Darryl looked up from washing the dishes, saying nothing but clearly not liking that answer.  
"You want to do this - tonight?" Paige asked dubiously.  
"Yes," Prue answered. "There's no reason to delay, and many good reasons to act as quickly as possible. For one thing, we don't want any other ex-demons trying to pull the same stunt that Yaozu did."  
"And I think word is starting to get around that I'm not the Queen," Phoebe added with a sigh.  
"That's too bad, Pheeble, I think you have a very regal quality about you," Paige teased.  
"All kidding aside, we have a chance to fix something that's been broken for a very long time," Prue said quietly. "I won't lie to you. This has risk associated with it. But doing nothing is guaranteed to be worse."  
Darryl left the cleaned dishes to dry in the rack, and took the seat next to Prue. He didn't say anything, but she understood his questioning glance only too well.  
"This whole mess is my fault," she said somberly. "I have to try to make it right, Darryl."  
Darryl didn't argue, but he spent several moments pushing his own personal feelings aside, which were plainly visible on his face. Finally, he took Prue's small hand in his, then kissed her tenderly. There was such love and concern in the gesture that Phoebe and Paige both felt humbled by it, and said nothing.  
"Come home safe," he whispered hoarsely.  
Prue nodded, blinking back tears.

* * * 

Two hours after sunset, the sisters returned to Golden Gate park. The skies were clear and the winds were still, but the air was bitterly, bitingly cold; and even layered in sweatshirts, sweaters and jackets, the sisters could feel the icy temperatures seeping into their limbs.  
"Jesus, it's freezing out here," Paige complained. "Let's get this over with, quick."  
"Agreed," Prue nodded her assent. She set down the large shopping bag she had brought with her, and started removing several stout waxen candles.  
"Put these in a circle," she instructed her sisters. "As wide as you can. About twelve feet across should do it."  
Phoebe and Paige each took a half dozen candles, and as Paige set the first one on the ground, she yelped in surprise as the candle lit itself.  
"Oh!" she exclaimed. "Is it supposed to do that?"  
Prue merely smiled tolerantly. "Hurry, you guys."  
Phoebe set down a candle, but as she stood up, she noticed several figures approaching.  
"Uhh, Prue?" she called out anxiously. "We have company."  
The sisters paused in their task as demons of every shape and size slowly filed into the open, grassy area, making a wide semi-circle several feet away. None of them said anything, they simply stood there, looking at the sisters with silent expectation. Lord Yaozu of Diyu stepped to the front of the throng.  
"You have returned," he said, unable to keep the relief from his voice.  
"I mean to keep my word," said Prue. "If this can be done, then we will do it."  
The crowd of demons was now growing quite large, and Phoebe suspected that any demon living in the city had probably turned out to witness the event.  
"Lord Yaozu, we cannot guarantee your safety, if you remain here," Prue said quietly. "What we are attempting is appallingly dangerous. You may wish to consider retreating to a safer distance."  
Yaozu shrugged in an almost human gesture. "There is no place safe," he said. "Tonight, we will have our salvation, or we will have death. Either one is welcome."  
Prue regarded him for a long moment, and then gave him an almost sorrowful smile. "I hope that tonight, you will find yourself home in the Court of Songdi, surrounded by your family."  
"Thank you, Charmed One. It is my wish also." He glanced over at the silently gathering crowd. "Do not fear them. They will not interfere," he added. "Their hopes rest with you as well."  
Pure nodded tersely, and then turned back to her sisters. "Let's finish this, you guys," she said quietly.  
Phoebe and Paige quickly set out the remaining candles, then rejoined Prue in the center of the circle.  
"You guys ready?" Phoebe asked her sisters nervously.  
"Why do you keep asking me that, when the answer is always no?" Paige retorted.  
"Paige." Prue shushed her gently. "All right, sisters. Let's do this."  
The sisters joined hands, creating a circle within the circle, and closed their eyes.  
_"Beloved sister, we release you,"_ they chanted softly. _"Release your pain to us. Release your fear to us. Beloved sister, we restore you. Take the love you need from us. Take the joy you need from us. Beloved sister, we unbind you. Let your task be done, your soul be free. Pass your burdens to we sisters three. And let all the magic here and hence, be nowhere - and everywhere at once."_  
As the sisters chanted, the flames from the candles began to rise, first like flares, then leaping up as jets of flames and sparks, creating a canopy of golden-yellow light surrounding them. The barrier, previously invisible, began to glow of its own blue and purplish tint, glowing brighter and brighter, and thunderous snapping sounds could be heard as the skin of the barrier began to crack and fracture.  
Paige yelped with fear and buried her head into Phoebe's shoulder, not daring to look again. With a sudden, screeching howl, the surface shattered like glass, and the center of the enclosed space was filled with brilliant white light. As all the demons looked upon it, they literally melted away like smoke. After a few moments, the light diffused, dimmed and disappeared. The ambient light of the night sky and the nearby city lights asserted itself once again.  
"Is it over?" Paige whispered, eyes still screwed shut.  
Grinning, Phoebe squeezed her sister's hand.  
The sisters stood on the grassy knoll and all was utterly still.  
"We - did it?" Paige gaped, not quite believing it herself. "We really did it?"  
Some movement caught Phoebe's eye, and she tugged at Prue's sleeve. The sisters turned and looked. Standing only a few feet away, her back turned to them, a slight female figure dressed in a long black gown was slowly rising to her feet.  
"That's not - it isn't - Piper?" Paige whispered hopefully.  
Slowly, the woman turned to face them. She had short, jet black hair, black-within-black eyes, and she smiled knowingly at them.  
"Oh, my God," breathed Phoebe.  
"Pheeble . . . she's YOU?" Paige gawked in disbelief.  
"Oh, no," Prue groaned with both fear and dismay. "No, no."  
"Hello, 'sisters' ", said Phoebe Halliwell, her voice positively dripping with malice. "It's so nice to finally meet you in person. And, hello, Prue," she added, fixing her elder sister with a hateful smile. "It's been a long time."


End file.
